A football player in Colombia was suspended & fined after kicking an owl - which later died - off the pitch

BOGOTA (Colombia) - THE football player who kicked an injured owl off the field in a match has been suspended for two matches and fined US$560 (S$711) by Colombian football officials. Officials handed out the sanctions on Wednesday to Luis Moreno, a defender for Colombian club Deportivo Pereira, who delivered the blow on Sunday after the injured owl landed on a corner of the field. The owl died of shock 30 hours later despite treatment at a local veterinary clinic. The owl served as the unofficial mascot for Barranquilla club Atletico Junior, which defeated Pereira 2-1 in the match. Moreno, a Panama international, apologised and said he was only trying to get the bird off the field and did not know it was a team mascot. Officials justified the sanctions by saying the act could have incited a violent response from home fans. 'This animal was a symbol for the fans from Barra...